Wintry weather causes suspension in regional railway project
Weather conditions have caused a suspension of work
on building a new, 76 km line of the regional Baku-Tbilisi-Gars
railway extending from the Georgian border to Gars, Turkey,
according to Azerbaijan`s AzerInshaatService company that is
carrying out the operations.
At the same time, Vusal Aslanov, the company`s deputy general director, told a local TV channel that the global financial crisis has not affected the implementation of the project in any way. The only problem is that there has been heavy snowfall in the area since December 15 and ice on the roads has blocked road traffic. The inclement weather has made it impossible for heavy-duty machinery to move and for construction employees to work in the open air.
"Another factor is that certain technical problems have emerged as the geological composition of soil had not been fully studied while the project was being drafted. We therefore decided for everything to be studied anew and for a new plan to be developed. But overall, construction of the rail line is under way in compliance with European standards and there are no changes in the previously designed plan."
Aslanov added that construction work would be resumed this March.
Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Gars railway began in November 2007. Azerbaijan earlier allocated a $200 million, 25-year loan to the Marabda-Kartsakh Railways LLC for the upgrade of the 149-km Georgian section of the railway, which includes building a new line stretching for 29 km in the neighboring South Caucasus republic and an upgrade of existing infrastructure. The over $600 million project is to be completed in 2011.
The railway will become part of the historic Silk Road trade route that once connected Asia with Europe. The project will allow transporting 5 million tons of cargo, with the figure to rise to a projected 20 million tons in the future. Mostly dry cargo will be transported through the route. Passenger trains will travel from Baku to Turkey as well.
At the same time, Vusal Aslanov, the company`s deputy general director, told a local TV channel that the global financial crisis has not affected the implementation of the project in any way. The only problem is that there has been heavy snowfall in the area since December 15 and ice on the roads has blocked road traffic. The inclement weather has made it impossible for heavy-duty machinery to move and for construction employees to work in the open air.
"Another factor is that certain technical problems have emerged as the geological composition of soil had not been fully studied while the project was being drafted. We therefore decided for everything to be studied anew and for a new plan to be developed. But overall, construction of the rail line is under way in compliance with European standards and there are no changes in the previously designed plan."
Aslanov added that construction work would be resumed this March.
Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Gars railway began in November 2007. Azerbaijan earlier allocated a $200 million, 25-year loan to the Marabda-Kartsakh Railways LLC for the upgrade of the 149-km Georgian section of the railway, which includes building a new line stretching for 29 km in the neighboring South Caucasus republic and an upgrade of existing infrastructure. The over $600 million project is to be completed in 2011.
The railway will become part of the historic Silk Road trade route that once connected Asia with Europe. The project will allow transporting 5 million tons of cargo, with the figure to rise to a projected 20 million tons in the future. Mostly dry cargo will be transported through the route. Passenger trains will travel from Baku to Turkey as well.
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